Venom Vol 1 158
(Story) (Title) | Editor-in-Chief = Axel Alonso | CoverArtist1 = Mark Bagley | CoverArtist2 = John Dell | CoverArtist3 = John Rauch | Production1_1 = Alan Fine | CCO = Joe Quesada | President1_1 = Dan Buckley | Quotation = But you must come! That monster is back! He is butchering us! | Speaker = Tana | StoryTitle1 = | Writer1_1 = Mike Costa | Penciler1_1 = Mark Bagley | Inker1_1 = John Dell | Inker1_2 = Andrew Hennessy | Colourist1_1 = Dono Sánchez-Almara | Letterer1_1 = Clayton Cowles | Editor1_1 = Devin Lewis | Editor1_2 = Allison Stock | Editor1_3 = Thomas Groneman | Editor1_4 = Nick Lowe | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Antagonists: * * Other Characters: * ** ** ** Numerous unnamed others * * Numerous unnamed New Yorkers * Moloids * * Unnamed "mole monsters" * Lee Price's lawyer * Unnamed Superior Court Judge * Unnamed Assistant District Attorney * * * * * Category:United States Army (Earth-616)/Mentions * * ** * * * Johnny * Amanda * Races and Species: * * * * * * * * Locations: * ** *** **** ***** ****** New York Sewer System ****** ******* ******** **** * Items: * * Alchemax Symbiote Blood Serum | Synopsis1 = As a swarm of rats rush through the sewer, the Dinosaur-People begin chasing and gathering them to eat. Tana tries to dissuade them from leaving shelter, but Hendo dismisses her wariness, calling the rats a gift from above. Kraven drops in and impales Hendo with a spear, dodging as Tana slashes at him with her talons. As she lunges, he fires a net gun at her, but before he can kill her, he's stopped by the NYPD sergeant. Kraven dismisses the sergeant's rebuke and leaves, telling the officers to establish a perimeter and kill any Dinosaur-People they see aside from Tana, who he says he'll deal with later. Once he's gone Tana breaks free from the net, transforming her arms into wings and flying down one of the tunnels. Pinned beneath the rubble, Eddie Brock recalls that when he was first bonded to the symbiote he'd have recurring nightmares of drowning, only to wake up and feel the symbiote in his lungs, forgetting that he didn't need to breathe anymore. Worse than the nightmares; however, was that even while awake he'd feel like he was drowning in an ocean of the symbiote's rage and hunger. He'd hoped those days would be over after the symbiote's redemption, but can now feel the dark ocean lapping at his mind again. Eddie tells himself he can't give in to the symbiote's growing bloodlust, and that if he does, he and countless others will die. Tana arrives, having tracked his scent, and the symbiote grabs her with a tendril and starts to strangle her. Eddie forces it to release her and she offers to dig him out, but he tells her if she does then the chamber and the street above will collapse and kill countless innocents. Tana desperately explains that Kraven is back and massacring her people, but Eddie tells her can't escape without getting innocent blood on his hands, and worse, is hours away from losing his mind and becoming a feral beast. Eddie tells her to find allies, and Tana leaves and returns with a group of Moloids — Eddie narrating that Tana later told him she'd found them passively watching the genocide of her people a few chambers away — and persuaded them to help with an impassioned speech. Eddie notes that most of what she'd said was untrue, but it made for a good story that would eventually become a legend among her people. The Moloids excavate the rubble, saving the civilians and freeing Venom, who by this point is rapidly succumbing to the symbiote's bloodlust, and barely in control of himself. Angrily demanding to know where Kraven is, Venom grabs Tana by the throat again when she offers to escort him. Retracting the symbiote from his face, Eddie tells her it's too dangerous for her to be near him in this state and sends her to his apartment to obtain the symbiote's medication. At the New York Superior Court, Lee Price's lawyer presents an appeal to have his client exonerated, citing the ability of the Venom symbiote to influence its host's actions as a form of mind control. The assistant district attorney protests, placing burden of proof on Price's lawyer; and he states that Edward Brock has rejoined with the symbiote again and is likely the one responsible for whatever crimes Price was accused of committing. Framing his client as an honorably-discharged veteran with no history of criminal activity, he points out that Price's arrest occurred under dubious circumstances involving organized crime, rogue federal agents, and Spider-Man — none of whom offered testimony. The ADA protests, saying Price stole a heavily-armed military helicopter, but Price's lawyer interjects, saying the helicopter was deployed to kill his client under the orders of a corrupt FBI agent. The judge interrupts their argument, asking for evidence that Price is not guilty, and Price's lawyer states that his client was imprisoned on the charge of being Venom but that Venom is still at large, asking her how she thinks the people and Mayor Fisk's administration will react if they think she has confused the culpability of an innocent man with the city's greatest threat. In the sewers, the Dinosaur-People feast on the rats, oblivious to the fact that Kraven is gleefully using the distraction to slaughter them one by one; Eddie narrating that he had to be filled in on the details of what happened afterwards. In a feral berserk rage, Venom tackles Kraven and prepares to slash him with his claws, but is blasted off him by Shriek. Kraven tells her to kill Venom without collapsing the tunnel, and she hits Eddie with a focused blast that ruptures his eardrums and shatters several of his bones. Eddie notes that in his berserk state he couldn't feel anything except rage, powering through Shriek's attack to grab her by the throat and choke her. As Eddie transforms back into Venom, Kraven lunges at him with his machete only for Shriek to be thrown face-first into him. Venom grabs Kraven and opens his jaws, declaring his intent to eat Kraven's brains, but before he can bite down Tana slams into him from behind, stabbing him with two syringes of the symbiote's medication. Venom turns to attack her but collapses into unconsciousness as the medicine takes hold, the symbiote partially withdrawing into Eddie's body. The SWAT team arrives and holds the Dinosaur-People at gunpoint as Tana demands to know why they want to kill her people. The Sergeant responds that they don't want to kill the Dinosaur-People, just stop them from eating people like the student film crew, but Tana protests that they haven't hurt anyone or even been to the surface since their transformation. Holding up Kraven by the back of his vest, she says that if they want to shoot a monster they should start with him — a man who hunts and kills sentient beings for sport. Not willing to risk an all-out battle with the Dinosaur-People, the Sergeant capitulates when one of his officers points out that Shriek is a wanted fugitive; stating that he never liked Kraven anyway. Tana refuses to let them arrest Eddie, declaring him a hero under their protection. The Sergeant notes that he has enough paperwork to fill out as-is and didn't become a cop to fight dinosaurs. Regaining consciousness, Eddie thanks Tana for saving him, but points out that the police will eventually return to hunt them down. Gesturing to the Moloids, Tana states that they have lived underground for years and that she intends to lead her people by their example. Noting that if need be Eddie will protect them, Tana extends the offer of protection towards him in turn. Transforming, Venom thanks her for the offer, but says it won't be necessary and that if he lays low for a while, the attention will blow over like it always does. At the New York Corrections Supermax Facility for Superhuman Incarceration, Lee Price is set free, setting out to reclaim the Venom symbiote and exact vengeance on those who had wronged him. | Solicit = LETHAL PROTECTOR Part 4 • It’s all or nothing as Venom and Kraven square off for their final battle! • But how can Venom protect himself and the innocents living under New York’s streets from a hunter who can’t die? | Notes = | Trivia = | Recommended = | Links = }}